Smart & Wearable Technology We’re Excited About in 2016

Smart products were undoubtedly on the top of many Christmas lists this past holiday season. With wearables projected to skyrocket into a $22.1 billion dollar industry by 2018, companies are continuously finding new uses for smart technology that cover anything from pet safety to augmented reality.

Here’s a list of smart technologies we’re most excited to see in 2016:

1. Bragi Dash

On the outside, Dash earphones look like normal (albeit pretty cool) bluetooth headphones. But don’t be deceived. These small earphones measure steps taken, distance travelled and include a heart-rate monitor. They also include 4GB of storage, so you can leave your phone at home and still listen to your favourite workout playlist.

The Dash is expected to ship March 2016 and will retail for $299 USD.

2. Nuzzle

Nuzzle is a GPS tracking device that tracks your pet’s location, monitors activity level and temperature and will notify you if your pet leaves the home boundary set by you. Nuzzle was created by a group of pet lovers looking to keep their furry companions safe and healthy. The app also keeps track of your pet’s medical records and includes quotes from leading pet insurers.

You can pre-order a Nuzzle on Indiegogo, starting at just $149.

3. Oculus Rift, PlayStation VR & HTC Vive

The once futuristic moment of augmented reality is finally here! Oculus Rift has made headlines since its initial Kickstarter campaign back in 2012 and will start shipping in Q1 of 2016. But Oculus Rift isn’t the only virtual reality headset about to hit the market. The HTC Vive and PlayStation VR are also set to release in the first half of 2016.

The Oculus Rift is expected to hit the market this March and comes with a $600 USD price tag.

4. Samsung SmartThings

Companies are racing frantically to create smart products for every corner of our homes. Samsung SmartThings has created one hub to control all of the smart devices in our homes. SmartThings lets users control smart products in one centralized app, can be customized with IFTTT triggers (to connect to hundreds of other apps) and even integrates with Amazon Echo.

5. Skully AR-1

Google Car may be some years out of reach, but smart products like Skully are already making our roads a safer place to be. Skully AR-1 is a motorcycle helmet with a rearview camera, heads up display with road layouts, GPS mappings and distance metrics and Bluetooth connectivity to pair with your phone. Skully started shipping its first helmets at the end of November and retails for $1500 USD.

Author: Sophie Salonga

Sophie loves creating and sharing exciting content, interacting with our community and finding creative ways to show the world what we do at Globalme.